Heater for expanding air



Patented Nov. 22, |898.-

J. HEIMLICH. HEATER FOR EXPANDING AIR.

(Application md oct. 2. 1897.)

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J. HEIMLICH. HEATER FUR EXPANDING AIB.

(Application led Oct. 2, 1897.)

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' tral vertical section of my heater.

JOI'IN HEIMLIOI'I, OF OAK HARBOR, OHIO.

HEATER FOR EXPANDING AIR.

srncrricATIoN frming pere ef Lettere Patent No. 614,717, dated November 22, 189s. Application filed October4 2, 1897. Serial No. 653,876. (No model.)

To all whom t may concern.-

Be it known that I, J OHNIIEIMLIGH, of Oak Harbor, in the county of Ottawa and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Heaters to Expand Air; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to heating apparatus designed particularly for heating air in connection with an air-motor, and has for its oloject the production of a heater which will effect a maximum expansion of air with a minimum expenditure of fuel and in which the entireapparatus will occupy the smallest possible space to facilitate the use of the heater upon street-cars or other vehicles wherein economy of space is a desideratum.

To the accomplishment of the foregoing and other objects subordinate thereto, my invention consists in providing a casing within which are located a f nel-reservoir and burner arranged in a manner to permit the circulation of cold air around the reservoir and past the burner and in providing mechanism which will cause the current ofair to gyrate within a combustion-chamber having upwardly-converging walls, whereby the air in passing from the heater to the furnace will be forced to pass through a solid flame.

The invention consists in certain other novel features of construction and arrangement which will more fully hereinafter 'appear.

Referring to the drawings, Figure 1 is a cen- Fig. 2 is a detail perspective view of the deflecting-plate and the regulating-disk, and Fig. 3 is a central vertical section through a modified form of heater.

Referring to the numerals on the drawings, l indicates a preferably metallic Acasing of any desired size or shape, consisting of an enlarged chamber 2, provided with an upwardly extending comparatively small burnerchamber 3, from the upper edge of which extends a horizontal annular flange 4,

, upon which is bolted, as by bolts 5, the anverging walls surmounted by a slightly offset and internally-screw-threaded collar 9, designed to receive the externallyscrewthreaded lower extremity of a flue-pipe 10, through which the heated air is designed to pass to the hot-air phamber of an ordinary vapor-engine. An asbestos insulating-ring 11 is preferably provided between the flanges 4 and 6 to prevent the heat of the combustion-casing from being transmitted to the casing 1.

12 indicates the bottom plate of the casing 1, preferably bolted to the flange 13 carried thereby and provided with a central air-inlet opening 14,below which depends an internallyscrew-threaded collar 15, designed to receive the threaded extremity of an air-pipe 16. Any suitable means for providing egress to the combustion-chamber for the purpose of igniting l[he burner may be provided, but the simplest way of accomplishing this purpose is to provide a screw-threaded aperture 17 through the casing 7 near its base, closed by a threaded plug 18, having a thumb-wing 19 to facilitate its detachment.

2O indicates the fuel-reservoir, which may be made of sheet metal or the like and is located within the chamber 2, being correlative therewith in shape, but of somewhat smaller dimensions, in order to provide an air-space 21 entirely surrounding it. Ribs 22 are preferably provided upon the exterior of the reservoir for retaining it in its proper relative position.

23 indicates a depending annular flange surrounding the cap-opening 24 in the top of the reservoir, within which is secured a metallic cap-plate 25,having a central internally-screwthreaded aperture 26 for the reception of the wick-tube 27, extending upwardly to a point slightly below the upper end of the burnercasing and downwardly to within close proximit-y to the bottom of the reservoir, the wicktube below the cap-plate 25 being provided with perforations 28, through which the oil is designed to pass to the wick 29.

30 indicates a cap preferably constructed of hard wood or a light metal and preferably screwed upon the plate 25 and of a proper diameter to leave a surrounding air-space 31 within the burner-chamber and having an axial bore 32 of sufficient diameter to leave an' air-space 33 around the wick-tube above the IOO cap-plate, transverse air-passages 34 being provided adjacent to the upper end of the cap designed to permit the air to pass from the air-passage 3l to the air-space 33 around the tube.

35 indicates an asbestos disk surmounting the cap and fitting closely within the burnerchamber and provided with an axial bore correlative with the bore through the cap and upon which is superimposed a metallic disk 36 of correlative form.

The apparatus as thus far described constitutes an operative whole, inasmuch as the draft produced by combustion within the combustion-chamber will cause the cold air to enter from the pipe 16 and pass around the reservoir in the annular air-passage 3l surrounding the cap, and thence to the annular air-space around the wick-tube above the cap-plate, and thence to the combustionchamber; but in order to cause the current of air to gyrate within the combustion-chamber in a manner to cause the greatest possible expansion and in order to provide means for automatically regulating the flame I prefer to employ novel mechanism, which I will now proceed to describe in detail. Immediately above, but slightly separate from, the plate 36 I locate what I shall term a deflectingdisk 37,titting closely around the wick-tube, but provided with apertures 3S, arranged, preferably equidistai1tly,adj acent to the tube and havin g radially-dis posed deflecting-plates 39, which are slightly inclined laterally or twisted in order to cause the air to be injected into the combustion-chamber adjacent to its walls and in a nearly horizontal direction. 40 indicates a regulator or regulating-disk fitting upon the upper extremity of the wicktube and having an annular collar 41, extending upwardly, immediately surrounding the tube for a purpose which will presently appear. Apertures 42 are provided in the top of the reservoir to permit the air passing around the same to enter the reservoir above the oil for the purpose of equalizing the pressure. Supposing the wick to have been ignited theoperation of my device is as follows: A current of air is drawn into the heater through the pipe 16 and passes around the reservoir and to the annular air-space around the wick-tube through the air-passages 3l and 34 in the manner described. It then passes between the plate 36 and the defiecting-disk and is injected into the combustionchamber in a manner to cause its gyration within the combustion-chamber around the fiame. It will be observed, however, that as the air progresses upwardly toward the fiue 10 it will be increasingly restricted in its expansive movement, and as a consequence when it reaches the upper extremity of the combustion-chamber it will have assumed the form of an eddy or whirl and will be forced to pass through a solid sheet of flame, which instantly raises the temperature of the air sufficiently to attain the maximum expansion means must be provided for automatically regulating the flame, and it is for this purpose that the regulator 40 is provided. As the current of air increases in force it will pass through the apertures 38 in the deflecting-disk and Will raise the regulator 40, impinging against its under surface, and will thus cause the collar 41 to rise above the extremity of the wick-tube to regulate the size of the flame in a manner which will be readily understood by those skilled in the art.

It may be noted, in conclusion, that the provision made for the passage of cold air against the entire inner surface of the casing l and around the Lipper end of the wick-tube will serve to prevent heating of the parts, and will therefore permit the generation of the high degree of heat required without raising the temperature of the oil within the reservoir.

In Fig. 3 of the drawingsl haveillustrated a modified form of my invention, in Which it is designed to raise or lower the wick-tube as the current of air fed through the apparatus is increased or diminished, and I shall therefore employ in this construction a verticallymovable wick-tube 43, passing through a tube or collar 44, fixedly carried by a stationary deiiecting-plate 45. The deflecting-plate in this instance is supported in position by a depending cylindrical flange 4G, apertured, as indicated at 47, and secured at its lower end, as by set-screws 48, to ring 49 just above the reservoir-chamber 50. A movable regulatingdisk 5l is mounted upon the tube or collar 44 above the defiecting-plate and is adapted to be adjusted to the desired position or slid up or down on the tube 44 before the burner is lighted, and a protecting-cup 52 is carried by the reservoir or tank 53 in a position to protect the wick-tube and to prevent the accumulation of oil upon the exterior of the tube immediately under the burner when said tube is elevated or depressed. After the disk 51 has been adjusted to produce the desired flame it remains fixed. Any suitable means for effecting this automatic adjustment of the tube may be provided, but I have shown the tube provided with an annular flange 54, extending horizontally between the lower end of the tube 44 and the upper edges of the cup 52, and have interposed springs 55 and 56 between the opposite faces of the flange 54 and the defiecting-plate 45 and the bottom of the cup 52, respectively, the springs being of proper resiliency to support the tube in its lowermost position with great delicacy, in order to permit the current of air passing upwardly to impinge against the bottom of the flange or cylinder 46, so that a space will be left around the horizontal flange for the escape of the air, the area of this space being,

however, considerably less than the area of the openings 57 through the deflecting-plate adjacent to the tube 44. In this form of the apparatus the air is designed to be fed to the burner under pressure, and as the wick is raised or lowered by the blast the device can be readily controlled by the air-cock located in the air-supply pipe, which will not only regulate the supply of oxygen, but will simultaneously regulate the elevation of the wick in an obvious manner.

While the present embodiment of my invention appears to be preferable, I do not desire to limit myself to the details of construction herein shown and described, but reserve the right to change, modify, or vary the same at will Within the scope of the invention.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new, and desired to be secured by Letters Patent, is-

l. The combination witha casing, of a combustion-chamber, a burner, a reservoir within the casing, a continuous air-passage around the reservoir, and means on the burner actuated by the draft for automatically regulating the flame and degree of heat of the burner, substantially as described.

2. The combination with a reservoir, of a burner movable in relation thereto, and means on the burner for automatically regulating itstomatically regulating the position of the burner, and a spring for balancing and supporting the burner,substantially as described.

4. The combination with a reservoir, of a burner movable in relation thereto, means on the burner actuated by the draft for automatically regulating the position of the burner, a flange on the burner, and springs pressing against said flange from opposite sides for balancing and supporting the burner, substantially as described.

5. The combination with a reservoir, of a burner movable in relation thereto, a cup at the top of the reservoir through which the burner slides, vand means on the burner actuated by the draft for raising and lowering the burner, substantially as described.

6. The combination with a reservoir, of a burner movable in relation thereto, a cup at the top of the reservoir through which the burner slides, a combustion-chamber above the reservoir, a fixed sleeve or collar therein through which the upper end of the burner passes, a flange on the burner between said cup and sleeve or collar, and springs pressing against said flange on opposite sides for bal ancing and supporting the burner, substantially as described.

7. The combination with a casing, of a combustion-chamber thereon, a reservoir within the casing, a vertically-movable Wick-tube extending within the reservoir, a deflectingplate thereon, a cap surrounding the wicktube, air-passages between the reservoir, cap and wick-tube, and springs for supporting the wick-tube, substantially as specified.

In testimony whereof I have signed this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

- JOHN IIEIMLICII.

lVitnesses z D. HEUMAN, D. BARRINGER. 

